THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 19, 1994 TAG: 9406170254
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Medium
DATELINE: 940619 LENGTH:
The first writer says it's ``the height of arrogance'' for a Council member to say that voters didn't understand that approval of the May 3 referendum would mean a ward system.
{REST} The second writer says she didn't understand, was in fact misled by the petitioners who got the referendum on the ballot.
To those two views, add a third: The final vote was 21,108 to 18,922 for equalization of boroughs and the switch to what is in effect a ward system. Of 158,134 registered voters in this city, 43,797, or 28 percent, went to the polls. Of those who went to the polls, 40,040, or 91 percent, voted in the referendum. Of that 91 percent who voted in the referendum, 21,108, or 53 percent, voted yes.
Put another way, 75 percent of the city's registered voters were silent on the subject. As were 95 percent of the city's 420,000 or so residents. Silence can speak volumes. This silence says . . . what? That non-voters are confused and cynical about the current system, supporters of the ward system say. Could be.
Or it could be that this silence doesn't matter: Ask the people to speak, and City Council must then heed the majority of those who take the opportunity, however few. Or maybe the potential for confusion or tyranny by the few, for second thoughts and clarifications, is why such referendums in Virginia are only advisory.
More than one voter has questioned how fully the ramifications of the referendum were explained to potential petition signers. Others have wondered how accurately the support for the ward system of the Council of Civic Organizations, prime mover of the petitions and referendum, reflects the views of its broad and varied membership. And how fully that civic-league membership reflects the views, as has been said, of the citizenry as a whole. And how well the CCO's unmitigated support in forums and in print comport with its constitutional directive ``to provide a citywide forum for full and free discussion of any civic, governmental, commercial, social or moral question'' and corresponding admonition ``to avoid at all times any partisan, political or religious position.''
Because it would be the height of arrogance to ignore them, so influential an organization as the CCO is surely be prepared to allay such concerns, even to ask itself such questions from time to time. This time is prime.
by CNB